These pages are part of the coursework for the MA 'Music and the Environment', UHI.
Trying to define 'musical space', I divided the the world into 'natural' and 'technical space', investigating the way music adheres to both.
The 'coastline paradox' illuminates the paradoxical fractal relationships that work inside natural and musical space. With the example of a young Kintyre composer's work, I will illustrate the paradox and the importance of meaningful measures in the interpretation of landscape or natural space.
Music is an art form that is semi-detached from three-dimensional space, but also moves within it. The movement of music within musical space is also metaphoric and caused by imagination, which never sleeps. Imagination applies to both, the conscious and the unconscious state. The subject-object relationship in musical space thus transcends dimensions through metaphoric movement. Acousmatic composers are aware of this and play with the concept of cause and effect, proving that the 'object of sound' may not be found in the third dimension.
Also the circle of fifths is an object of sound in musical space and time. Its fractal properties remind of coastlines.
Moreover, I suggest that musical space relates to 'heart space', as the seat of emotional response.
When a musical movement can touch a person's heart, it may be important to look at the forms of interaction between musicians. Comparing music to language communication, a 'musical discourse should include the freedom of speech and allow the participation of the audience.
Music is an environment of many dimensions.